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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Bookish Thoughts: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

On the ferry from Hyannis to Alice Island, Amelia Loman paints her nails yellow, and, while waiting for them to dry, skims her predecessor's notes. ~ Opening of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Algonquin Books, 2014

Fiction; 272 pgs

I am among the last to read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, a book I put off reading since I first heard about it for fear it would not live up to the hype. I nearly dove into the book back in September, but set it aside to read something else instead. And then I kept putting it off again and again. With a deadline approaching, I decided it was finally time to get to it. And now I am kicking myself for putting it off so long.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry was such a delight to read, from the bookish references to the bookstore setting to the charming town of Alice Island and its characters. A.J. reminded be a bit of Ove from Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove. Except for the fact that A.J. isn't really that old, he is a bit curmudgeonly. Since the death of his wife, A.J. is even more withdrawn than his usual self. He finds solace in alcohol and his books. His bookstore is floundering and he wants nothing more than to isolate himself further from the world around him. The theft of his prize possession, a rare book, a baby, and a new publishing sale's rep set A.J.'s world into a tailspin--and nothing will be the same after that.

I found this book to be both charming and heartwarming. A.J. is a bit of a book snob, yes, but he means well. He has his ways of doing things and isn't too keen on change, but change he does when the situation calls for it. A.J. has a bigger heart than he will admit to having.

The sales rep, Amelia, would be a fun person to hang out and talk to, I imagine. I liked her right from the start. And Chief Lambiase . . . I would love to join his book club. Mysteries and crime fiction are among my favorite books too. Then there is sweet Maya, ever precocious with a bright future ahead of her.

I think one of my fears was that this book would be too thick with literary references, and while there were a lot, they were very relateable. As someone who both loves to read and write, I felt right at home in Zevin's novel. Bookstores really can be the heart of a community and books like this are a reminder of just what that means.

We read to know we’re not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone. We are not alone.
My life is in these books, he wants to tell her. Read these and know my heart.

I wish I had waited till the hype had died down to read it. I really enjoyed it but I think my expectations were so high that it still felt like a disappointment. I loved all the bookstore talk and the characters. It was a great story that I probably should reread with more reasonable expectations.

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At the age of five, Literary Feline (aka Wendy) was diagnosed as a fabulavore. Due to the low story content of movies and television, she has required a steady supply of books to provide her sustenance. She currently resides in California with her loving husband, adorable daughter, and two affectionate and sassy cats. Literary Feline has broadened her nutritional sources by reviewing books. Please note: Literary Feline is not a bibliovore. She's not eating the books for goodness' sake.